Discrimination in any form is a disruptive and illegal practice in the workplace. There are many forms of discrimination that New York residents may suffer while doing their jobs, and one highly damaging form is racial discrimination. Racial discrimination happens when a person loses work opportunities due to their inclusion in a racial group.
There is no one way that racial discrimination happens, and this post will discuss some ways that it may appear in employment settings throughout New York. No legal advice is provided through this post, and all readers are encouraged to talk to their trusted employment law attorneys about their discrimination-related concerns.
Examples of racial discrimination at work
Racial discrimination in the workplace can be hidden or obvious. A person may suffer direct and targeted harassment and vitriol by their employer because of their race, and this form of discrimination is clear. More often, though, racial discrimination is difficult to prove and challenging to detect.
For example, a person may be fired or demoted and told that it was due to their work performance. On those grounds, the loss of work may be justifiable. However, the employer may have used a fabricated justification of work performance as a pretext to harm the individual because of their race. Proving the grounds for a loss of work responsibility, a lack of hiring, or a missed raise or promotion can be difficult.
Addressing racial discrimination at work
Just because it can be hard to prove racial discrimination does not mean that harmed workers should accept it. Individuals have rights to work free from harassment and harm while doing their jobs. When discrimination impacts them and causes them losses and injury, they may have rights. Their trusted employment law attorneys can walk them through the steps to protecting their interests and enforcing their rights to justice from the harm they suffered.